Research into the diversity of music videos - Miss Miller

Diversity of music videos

Alternative music videos stay to the artistry rather than the artist refers to the idea that diverse music videos focus more on the concept of the song, rather than what the artist will gain from producing it. Music videos that are considered diverse tend to stray away from the characteristics that are conventional to specific music genres. The style of diverse music videos are usually different to what an artist would usually create. There are several advantages and disadvantages for an artist who produces a diverse music video. For example, an advantage to them would be that the video is likely to stand out and be more memorable (intriguing). The audience may also see a different side to an artist which could lead to more hype over the video, increasing word of mouth promotion. Another advantage is that an artist may be able to attract a new and wider target audience. Also, most diverse music videos are more focused on a concept, therefore the audience may respect the further meaning that a video has and appreciate the artist's intellectual appeal. However, the disadvantages of a diverse music video are that it becomes difficult for an artist to build a relationship with the audience as it is harder for them to relate to the unusual content, which may also put off new fans. The artist may also be limiting themselves and their song/music to a niche target audience as the unusual content may only appeal to a small group of people. In an extreme case, if fans do not like the change in music video style it may lead to an artist receiving hate campaigns wanting them to go back to their conventional style of music videos. It is very risky for an artist to stray from the norm of their music genre and create a diverse music video, as simply, fans make not like it, which could therefore lead to an artist losing their fan loyalty. Also, the artist may struggle to compete if there are more and more new artists entering the same genre of music. Furthermore, there is the risk that an artist may achieve a bad reputation in the music industry if their diverse music video is too weird or unpopular, which could result in record labels not wanting to work with them. If an artist loses respect and their following, it could also lead to them losing money as they will not be able to sell their music.

Chris Cunningham primarily directs music videos for ambient music and electronica acts including the song 'windowlicker' by Aphex Twins which was nominated for Best Video at the Brit awards in 2000, and in 1998 the song 'frozen' by Madonna which Cunningham directed became an international hit and won an award for Best Special effects. Cunningham's work includes the music videos for 'come to daddy' and 'windowlicker' by Aphex Twins, both of which are very controversial and clearly do not fit into the mainstream, however, both videos combined have been viewed on YouTube over 4,000,000 times which is arguably due to how easy the application is to use and how it enables videos to be watched on a worldwide scale. Furthermore, the success of these videos could also be due to the fact that people are attracted to and often buy into controversy and the idea that being different is interesting. Audiences are always keen to see how far an artist is willing to push their creative boundaries, which is arguably what Cunningham helps them to do.

Madonna - Frozen (pop)

Madonna is a well known pop artist, famous for her songs Like A Virgin, Papa Don't Preach and Holiday, all of which are recognisable within that genre, for example, in the music video for her song Material Girls, Madonna can be seen wearing a bright pink ball gown and diamond jewellery, both of which suggest her to be wealthy and fashionable. This conforms to the pop genre due to the fact that pop artists are known for fitting into the mainstream and setting new fashion trends. Other characteristics of the pop genre include bright colours, the idea of girl power and choreographed dance routines. The song 'frozen' by Madonna, however, is arguably the complete opposite of what an audience would expect to see from a pop genre music video. The pop genre is one of the most mainstream genres of music there is, which is arguably why artists within the pop genre make a lot of money that can be spent on making high quality music videos, with the use of green screens and hired out studios, and the ability to afford expensive looking clothing, which is often why pop artists are known for setting new fashion trends and dictating the mainstream. Furthermore, because pop fits into the mainstream, the genre often appeals to the widest of audiences, which further aids a pop artist's ability to make a lot of money. Characteristics that typically conform to the pop genre are girl power music videos, in which the artist will often perform a rehearsed dance routine within a large group or express to the audience a love story within the lyrics, for example, the song 'we are never getting back together' by Taylor Swift embodies most of these aspects. The music video for Madonna's song 'frozen' is arguably very controversial to what an audience would expect to see from a pop artist, for example, the audience are able to see Madonna standing in the middle of an isolated, desert looking place, her body covered head to toe in black clothing, her hair dyed a dark, black colours and lots of crows flying around her. The use of such a remote location is subversive of the pop genre due to the fact that it connotes the idea of mystery and loneliness, however, being within the pop genre the audience would expect Madonna to have a lot of friends and be able to find in more of a luxurious location, such as in a studio with the use of a green screen or somewhere abroad. Furthermore, her appearance in the video is similar to the way you would expect a witch to look, which is also subversive because pop artists are known for wearing revealing, designer clothing which emphasise the idea of pop artists being fashion trend setters. Having said that, the use of this type of clothing arguably makes Madonna appear more relatable, due to the fact that not everyone within the audience will be able to afford designer clothing or may like keeping up with different trends. The audience may appreciate getting to see this different side to Madonna, however, many may not like how different this music video is in comparison to all of her other music videos, and may not be able to identify her as the artist whom they thought she was, therefore this could result in Madonna losing some audience members who were once avid listeners of her music, or, on the other hand, she may attract new audience members who do not like the typical pop artists. Some may argue that the concept behind the music video for the song 'frozen' is that not all relationships are happy and easy going, some can be consuming, manipulative and dark, which is emphasise by the isolated location and use of dark colours. One aspect of the video that is conventional to the pop genre is the idea of a love story based narrative, which is suggested by the lyrics "we'd never be apart" and "give yourself to me" and is often more relatable to the audience who may be in relationships themselves or may find the relationship based videos more interesting to watch because they often give them an insight into an artist's personal life. This is conventional because mainstream celebrities often release books or take part in interviews that serve the purpose of finding out information about them that the audience may not already know, or will be interested to read about them. Another style of video that 'frozen' embodies is mostly performance, where the audience can see that Madonna is standing in an isolated location singing directly to the camera. Performance is arguably conventional to the pop genre due to the fact that pop artists are known for being confident and over the top and most artists will performance for audiences at concerts, therefore this will be the norm for them. This particular music video is more like to grab the audience's attention and be more memorable for them due to how different it is when compared to her other songs and other artists within the same genre, and her change in appearance is likely to get more people talking about her which will increase her exposure and may lead to the song becoming more successful because people will be interested to watch the video for themselves in order to see what everybody else is talking about. Having said that, there is also the risk that some of her fans may not like her change of style and were more able to relate to the way she looked and acted in all of her other videos, therefore they may feel less inclined to want to watch any future videos that she produces, which will also reduce her overall success within the music industry. It may be easier for someone like Madonna, who is well established within the music industry, to change so drastically due to the fact that she has had years to establish a loyal fan base who are likely to stick with her no matter what she does and may view this music video as evidence of her diversity. This video arguably represents Madonna as having more of an independent style, rather than a mainstream one, this therefore suggests that her video will reach a different audience to the one her other music videos that conform to the pop genre do.

Aphex Twins - 'windowlicker'

The genre that 'windowlicker' falls into is electronica, conventions of which include the use of low key lighting and flashing lights in order to imply a club type setting. However, this particular music video does not include the conventions that are typical to what the audience would expect from the electronica genre, for example, the entire video is set in the colours black and white which could connote the idea of the video being old fashioned, however, electronica is a newer, more modern and current genre of music therefore bright lights and bright colours would compliment the perception of the genre more. The first music video I have analysed is 'windowlicker' which although is very diverse and uncomfortable to watch, does include several elements from Goodwin's theory, for example, there is a clear relationship between the beat of the song and the visuals which can be seen during the umbrella sequence towards the middle of the video. Every time the beat changed, the artist moved the umbrella accordingly, which therefore made it appear as though the umbrella was making the sound the audience could hear. This arguably makes the artist appear more talented in the sense that he has the ability to choreograph a dance sequence that compliments the beat of song, therefore the audience may appreciate how hard the artist must have worked to make this happen. This sequence within the video also shows the audience that the music video incorporates elements of performance, due to the fact that the artist can be seen dancing with the umbrella which may also help the artist to appear more talented, which could cause the audience to feel envious of his ability to both sing and dance. Furthermore, there is also a less obvious narrative within the music video which begins at the start of the video with the two guys talking in the car; the use of voice over arguably helps to set the scene for the rest of the music video and song and provides the audience with a background story to relate the lyrics of the song to. The concept behind the music video is the idea that women look for and are attracted to men who have a lot of money, which is evident in the video when the audience can see the two women dismiss the two men in the smaller car who are trying to talk to them, but are more than happy to get into the car with the richer man who pulls up behind the smaller car in a limo and pushes the smaller car out of the shot. This concept conforms to the idea that all musicians within the music industry are rich and have expensive lifestyle, drive expensive cars and are found attractive by a lot of women, which is arguably due to how popular the industry is and how appealing music is on a worldwide scale. This idea may make it difficult for the audience to relate to the music video because they themselves may not make a lot of money and may live more of a simplistic lifestyle, they may also not be as interested in owning expensive goods and may therefore be able to relate to the men in the smaller car more. The music video also includes several visuals of the artist, for example, they first see his face while he is sitting in the back seat of the limo after it crashes into the smaller car, therefore, through the exaggerated size of his car and his ability to be driven around, he is portraying himself as being rich and as having a luxurious lifestyle, this causes him to conform to the music industry as a whole. Furthermore, through their dismissive behaviour, it is implied that the women in the music video are materialistic and are only interested in men who have money, and idea that many of the female audience members may find it difficult to relate to. Also, the audience will be able to see visuals of the artist again on the faces of the girls while they are sitting in the car with him; their faces have been replaced by his own which the audience will find this weird, but may also feel interested to find out why he chose to do this. The video arguably represents the artist as being quite self absorbed in the sense that the video is entirely about him which is made evident by the visuals of him being the one in the bigger car, who gets all of the girls, and his face is seen on some of the other characters in the video, therefore, being constantly reminded of him may make the audience feel as though the entire video revolves around him.

Aphex Twins - 'come to daddy'

The music video for 'come to daddy' is fairly similar to 'windowlicker' in regards to its diversity, which suggests that Cunningham has a specific style that he prefers to work in. Both of these videos were very dark and twisted and had strong concepts that Cunningham was trying to portray which could benefit the artist due to the fact that the audience may appreciate the artists intellect and have respect for the song for having a deeper meaning. Similarly, both of these videos also include visuals of the artist where his face is on the faces of other people within the video which is slightly weird but arguably increases his exposure in a way that the audience are more likely to remember. Furthermore, the main element of Goodwin's theory that this video incorporates is an intertextual reference where the audience can see an elderly women silently screaming at a group of television sets which could be interpreted that she is frightened by the development of technology which would not have been advanced when she was younger. This arguably links to the concept behind 'come to daddy' which is the idea that the media nowadays has a major influence over the youth, suggested by the visuals of television sets and young children. Also, the artist's face can be see on the faces of the young children in the video which is slightly weird but interesting in the way that the audience are likely to remember how diverse the video is, and these visuals could imply that musicians influence the media due to the fact that they are always in magazines and forms of social because people want to know what is going on in their lives. Furthermore, children are young and impressionable and will often look up to celebrities in the sense that they may want to achieve the lifestyle and money that they have, therefore this video may show this influence through the use of visuals of the artist. The style of music video is arguably a mixture between concept (the idea of the media being highly influential in todays society) and performance which is made evident through the use of visuals of the artist. Performance is an important aspect of any music video due to the fact that it allows an audience to see what an artist looks like and how they are feeling at specific points during the video. This could help an audience to relate to the artist due to the fact that they are likely to have experienced these emotions before themselves. Furthermore, the audience will be more likely to recognise the artist if they see them in any other aspects of the media such as a magazine article, therefore they will be more likely to stop to see what the information is saying which in turn will help to increase their exposure. The style of concept, on the other hand, will appeal to the audience who may enjoy that the video has a deeper meaning and that there is more for them to think about while they are watching the video. They may also enjoy the performance aspects of the video due to the fact that some people may not be able to afford to go and watch these artists perform live in concert therefore this is the closest they are going to get. The music video represents the artist as being...

Michel Gondry is another diverse music video director who I found that, when compared to the likes of Chris Cunningham takes a more simplistic, relatable approach when producing music videos. He is a French screenwriter and producer who is well known for his inventive visual style and distinctive manipulation of miss-en-scene, which help to bring a music video to life and make the video more interesting for the audience to watch as they give more of a realistic vibe to the video.

The white stripes - hardest button to button

 

The video for 'hardest button to button' falls into the rock genre which is often perceived as being loud, in your face, quirky styles and the use of dark colours to portray rock artists as having don't care attitudes that they are often associated with having, however, after analysing the music video for 'hardest button to button' the conventions that are used are quite the opposite to what the audience would expect to see in a rock music video, for example, the location is set in everyday places such as the park and at the train station and the outfits worn by the artists are cheaper in the sense that most people will be able to afford them, for example, skinny jeans and a plain t-shirt. Having said that, the artists can be seen wearing clothing of the colours black and red which arguably conform to the rock genre due to the fact that they are bold and stand out and rock artists are sometimes perceived as enjoying being the centre of attention. The main style of video that can be seen in 'hardest button to button' is performance, especially through the use of visuals of the drums and guitar which link to Dyer's theory and the idea that an artist must be extraordinary in the sense that they have the ability to produce and perform music as well as play musical instruments which is usually a skill that takes a lot of time and practice, therefore suggesting an artists' commitment to their music which the audience may appreciate. However, the audience may also feel envious of how talented these artists are and may therefore feel inspired to learn how to play a musical instrument themselves or to get involved in the music industry in another way, such as a producer or manager. The artist is represented as being more relatable especially through the use of affordable clothing such as red skinny jeans and a baggy black t-shirt and everyday locations such as the park and the train station due to the fact that the audience may not be able to afford expensive or branded items of clothing which are often associated with artists from within the industry due to the fact that the music industry is known for making a lot of money. Furthermore, they may have been to these locations seen in the video themselves, for example, on the way to work which helps to give the video more of a natural and relatable feel to it. Moreover, the use of musical instruments such as the drums and guitar conforms to the rock genre due to the fact that rock artists often perform solos within their songs where all the audience can hear is the musical instrument, during which the audience are known to jump and dance around. The use of musical instruments such as the drums could also represent the artists as being talented in the sense that they would have been taught or taught themselves how to play these instruments which would have taken a long time, therefore the audience may also appreciate how committed to their music they are. The location in which the video is set is subversive of the rock genre due to the fact that the audience can see that the video is set in everyday places such as the park and the train station, which could imply that the band live a simplistic, basic lifestyle which the audience will be able to relate to due to the fact that they are likely to have been to or go to these types of places during their day to day routine. Although this may appeal to the audience more because it helps the artists' to be portrayed as more relatable, these visuals are subversive because artists within the rock genre are often perceived as being unwashed, alcoholics or drug addicts which are attributes that most everyday people will not have. One of the element's of Goodwin's theory that is included in this video is visuals of the artist, for example, every time a new beat is played, the two artists and their instruments duplicate. This means that the audience begin to see more and more of the artists' as the video progresses, therefore they are constantly reminded of them and they can clearly see what the artist looks like. These visuals are more likely to be remembered by the audience, who will therefore be more likely to recognise them if they see images of them in other aspects of the media. Furthermore, the use of these visuals allows the audience to see that both of the artists' are wearing affordable clothing, for example, red skinny jeans and a plain black t-shirt, which portrays them as being more relatable due to the fact that artists' are often associated with wearing designer brands of clothing because of their ability to afford them, however, not everyone from within the audience will have the money to buy expensive goods. Also, the audience are also made aware that everything that they can hear regarding the beat and the backing sound is being produced by the band themselves through the use of visuals of musical instruments. Performance arguably conforms to the rock genre due to the fact that rock artists' are often associated with being able to put on a performance for their audience, during which they will often dance or jump around. The visuals of musical instruments also portrays the artist as being talented and committed to their music due to the fact that it often takes a lot of time and effort to be able to play a musical instrument skilfully, which they have achieved. It is important for an artist to be able to build a relationship with their audience due to the fact that this will help them to establish a loyal fan base who are going to buy into and continue to buy their music, which in turn will increase the long term success of an artist within the industry. They will also need to give the audience something that they will be able to relate to, whether that be the artist themselves in regards to the way they dress or behave, or to the narrative or concept of the video, as many artists are known for basing their music videos on real life experiences. This has arguably been achieved in this video due to the fact that it is very simplistic and implies that the artists' have very basic lifestyles, which the audience themselves are more likely to have when compared to the wealthy and expensive lifestyles that most artists are often perceived as having due to how popular the music industry is.

Kylie Minogue - 'come into my world'

The song 'come into my world' by Kylie Minogue is part of the pop genre, conventions of which include rehearsed dance routines, bright colours and artists who wear revealing clothing, most of which will be expensive due to the amount of money that they make, and will often fit into the mainstream that is dictated by other pop artists. This music video, however, clearly does not conform to these typical conventions of the pop genre, for example, Kylie can be seen wearing affordable, not in the mainstream items of clothing such as a baggy pink polo shirt, and the video is not set in a glamorous location; she looks to be in a run-down urban neighbourhood which is not the place where you would expect someone like Kyle to live. The video for 'come into my world' includes several aspects highlighted by Goodwin's theory, for example, the audience will be able to see a clear relationship between the lyrics of the song and the visual. This can be seen when Kylie sings the lyrics 'come into my world' while the audience watch her walk through the streets of an urban city, implying that what she is doing is her daily routine and therefore in that sense that this is her world, and what she does in her world. This casual setting represents Kylie as having a down to earth lifestyle which the audience would not expect of someone who is part of such a wealthy industry. These visuals will help Kylie to build a relationship with her audience due to the fact that they will perceive her as being an average person, and in that sense similar to them due to the fact that the audience may not be able to relate to the idea of having a luxurious lifestyle and as being able to afford designer goods which most celebrities are perceived as having. The use of affordable clothing and the setting of an everyday location also helps the artist to be represented as more relatable due to the fact that the audience may not be able to afford designer brands or visit expensive places, however, this does not conform to the pop genre due to the fact that most pop artists film in hired studios and use green screens in order to create more of a high quality music video. This representation does not conform to the pop genre due to the fact that the audience expect pop artists to be seen wearing expensive, revealing outfits because they are known for setting new fashion trends and influencing the way the younger generation dress. The colour pink of her shirt arguably conforms to the pop genre due to the fact that pink is perceived as being quite a girly colour which could represent her as being quite feminine. Furthermore, the use of bright colours also conforms to the genre which is perceived as being energetic and upbeat. The style of music video that 'come into my world' follows is arguably a mixture of  both performance and narrative. The first can be seen throughout the video due to the fact that the camera is constantly following Kylie around, who occasionally looks into the camera lens and sings directly to the audience. The use of performance is arguably conventional to the pop genre due to the fact that pop artists are known for being confident and over the top, which further compliments the visuals of Kylie walking down the street in a dance-like, skipping motion which is not how you would typically expect to see someone walking. Furthermore, most artists will performance for audiences at concerts, therefore this will be the norm for them. On the other hand, narrative can also be seen in the music video, emphasised by the lyrics 'come into my world' which suggest to the audience that the song is directed towards a boy which is conventional to the pop genre due to the fact that pop artists often sing about real life experiences that they feel the audience will be able to relate to. This is beneficial to the artist because if the audience can relate to the situations that an artists sings about they will be more likely to want to buy and listen to the song again, which means more sales and a higher success rate for the artist. The video is arguably very repetitive in the sense that every time a new chorus begins, all of the characters and props in the video duplicate, which therefore tells us that the audience will be constantly watching the same visuals throughout the entire music video. These visuals of the artist is another element of Goodwin's theory that 'come into my world' includes, for example, for the entire video the camera follows Kylie around, watching as she goes about her daily routine, which the audience may appreciate getting to see her doing normal things instead of living a luxurious lifestyle by going to lots of parties and hanging out with other celebrities. They may also be able to relate to the idea of having a daily routine that revolves around work and family, and may therefore be able to view Kylie as being, in some ways, similar to them.

The main similarity between the two videos directed by Gondry are that they are both very repetitive, especially through the way in which the artists move around, for example, in The White Stripes music video the artists and their musical instruments duplicate with every beat. Similarly, in the Kylie music video, she and other characters duplicate every time the chorus begins, this therefore means the audience are watching the same visuals over and over again throughout the whole video. Furthermore, both of these music videos also have a very simplistic style to them that the audience will find more relatable.

In conclusion, it is made evident by these music videos that Cunningham's directing style is very eccentric and controversial, and therefore his videos will be directed to more of a niche target audience because only a select group of people will like and be able to relate to the videos that he produces. On the other hand, Gondry takes more of a simplistic, relatable approach with his production style which enables his videos to appeal to a wider audience, and therefore allows these artists to make more money through the sales of their music. Gondry portrays his artists differently to what the audience would expect, for example, the do not have lavish, expensive lifestyles and resemble the everyday person. Having said that, the two music videos analysed are clearly repetitive which some people may find quite boring to watch. I would like for my music video to incorporate aspects from both the styles of directing that Cunningham and Gondry have, for example, I would like for the video to have an edge and a deeper meaning to it, similar to the way that Cunningham's music videos do in order to help it stand out, however, I also want the video to be relatable like the music videos produced by Gondry, which I feel I will be able to do by refraining from using any extravagant props or costumes and have the video set in everyday locations.